Filing cabinet follower



Dec. l2, 1944. J. w. PAxToN` E1- AL FILING CABINET FOLLOWER Original Filed April 24, 1945 Parented Dee. 12, 1944 FILING CABINET FOLLOWER John Warren Paxton and George Noble Paxton, Bloomington, and Irving Richard Cornish,

Elmhurst, Ill.

Original application April 24.,` 1943, Serial No. 484,392. `Divided and this application January 17, 1944, Serial No. 518,566

(Cl. 12B-30) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to ling cabinets and more particularly to the follower used in the containers therefor whereby the contents areproperly supported in vertical position.

The main objects of this invention are to proa'vide an improved form of follower suitable for use in, any type of filing cabinet but particularly in a type commonly known as sidefiling;" to provide an improved follower construction which is easily placed in or removed from the container, which rigidly positions itself at any point in the container, but which permits convenient and ready shifting thereof as occasion may require; and to provide an improved follower of this kind which is simple and economical to manufacture, particularly from wood.

In the particular embodiment of the invention herein shown, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a two-drawer filing cabinet of a construction such as that shown in our co-pending application Serial No. 484,392, filed April 24, 1943, and of which this is a divisional application. The lower container is shown in its open position, and has mounted therein a follower constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the open container showing the improved follower in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the follower taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

A filing cabinet constructed in accordance with the disclosure of the aforesaid application comprises a casing 5 in which are tiltably mounted one or more containers 6 for use with which the improved follower 'I is particularly designed.

The container 6 is formed of a front-bottom part 8, a bottom-back part 9, and end members I and II. ,The bottom-back member 9 is herein shown to be formed of two pieces providing a lateral slot I2 along the middle portion and eX- tending throughout the length thereof.

Suitable pivot mechanism, not shownv herein, connects the container 6 to the casing 5 so that it may be swung or tilted back or forth between the closed and open positions illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The improved form of follower 1 is made up of two plates or members' I3 and I4 slidably mounted one upon the other. The plate I3 has an extension I protruding rearwardly through the slot I2 in the bottom-back part 9 of the container 6. To this extension is attached a T- shaped blockJG which engages the back face of the bottom-back part 9 and in cooporation with the plate I4, as will be more clearly hereinafter pointed out, grips the bottom-back part 9 for positioning the follower 'I in any desired place in the container 6. V

, The plate I3 is also provided with an extension I'I along its outer edge disposed in the plane of the plate I4. The abutting edges of the plate or ,member `I4 and the extension I'l provide `shoulders I8 and I9 biased to the dimensions of the plates. Also, the plate or member I4 has recesses 2U biased at the same angle as the shoulders I8 and I9. Headed pins 2l secured to the plate or member I3 extend through the recesses 20 and retain the plates in their shiftable relationship. Springs 22 interposed between the pins 2| and the bottom of the recesses 20 normally tend to force the plate I4 downwardly with regard to the plate I3. The inclined abutting shoulders I8 and I9 consequently force the inner edge of the plate I4 against the bottom-back part 9 whereby the follower I is rmly held in position in the container 6.

Elongated hand holes or openings 23 and 24 are formed near the upper outer corners of the plates or members I3 and I4, respectively. 'I'he hand hole or opening 23 is about twice as large as the hand hole or opening 24. Normally the springs 22 shift the plates so that the bottoms of the openings 23 and 24 lare in registration with each other. Thus, when the hand is inserted through the registering portions of the openings 23 and 24, the plate I4 may be pulled up against the action of the springs 22 and thereby release the pressure of the block IG and plate I4 on opposite sides of the bottom-back part 9. This permits the follower 1 to be shifted along the container so long as the hand retains the plate or member I4 in this retracted position with respect to the plate or member I3. Upon withdrawing the hand and releasing the plate or member I4,

the springs 22 again shift the member I4 relative to the member I3 whereby the biasedly arranged shoulders I8 and I9 again force the block I6 and plate I4 to grip opposite faces of the bottom-back part 9.

Variations and modifications in the details of the structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a container for filing cabinets having a wall member formed of a pair of parts spaced to provide a lateral slot throughout the length of said member, a follower comprising a pair of relatively shiftable plates having biasedly-arranged coacting shoulders thereon whereby one of said plates is urged to engage the inner face of said wall member, an extension on the other of said plates received in said slot and engageable with the back face of said wall member, and releasable resilient means shifting said plates for causing said one plate and said extension to grip said wall member for positioning said follower in said container.

2. In combination with a container for filing cabinets having a wall member formed of a pair of parts spaced to provide a lateral slot throughout the length of said wall member, a follower comprising a pair of relatively shiftable plates having biasedly-arranged coacting shoulders thereon whereby one of said plates is urged to engage the inner face of said wall member, a T- shaped extension on theother of said plates received in said slot and engageable with the back Y face of said Wall member, slots formed in said one 3. In combination with a container for filing cabinets having a wall member formed of a pair of parts spacedto provide a lateral slot throughout the length of said wall member, a follower comprising a pair of relatively shiftable plates having coacting biasedly-arranged shoulders thereon whereby one of said plates is urged to engage the inner face of said wall member, a T- shaped extension on the other of said plates received in said slot and engageable with the back face of said wall member, slots formed in said one plate and having the same biased disposition as said shoulders, headed pins on said other plate extending through said slots for holding said plates in their assembled relatively shiftable relationship, springs interposed in said slots between said pins and the bottom of said slots and adapted to shift said plates for causing the grip of said extension and said one plate on said wall member for positioning said follower in said container, and partially registering hand slots formed in said plates and adapted to permit the retraction of said plates against the action of said springs for releasing the grip of said follower parts on said wall member.

JOHN WARREN PAXTON. GEORGE NOBLE PAXTON. IRVING RICHARD CORNISH. 

